It is raining here now. Not just a drizzle but a big wet ground soaking sustained dollop.Hallelujah and yip my yah!Been so long I had almost forgotten what it felt like. What is smelt like. Rung in with a rolling clap of thunder that sent Juno scurrying under the coffee table to bury his head in his favourite stuffed toy. Then a big dump. Then … Continue reading It’s raining in Australia!
Fire for our belly Smoke for our breath Ash for our heart Great burning subtraction Wild loss combustion machine Coming Coming Eating it up And finally in sordid stillness in abject silence gifting us this collodion-black negative of all we had. — Ian Miller Featured image: @ryno_thecaptain Continue reading burning lesson
Flying a flag upside down is a symbol that has been used by many countries to signify conditions of dire distress or extreme danger to life or property. At the risk of cultural appropriation, the symbolism of an upside-down aboriginal flag reflecting the smoke red/orange sky and blackened ground seen throughout much of Australia right now seems to be a deeply fitting expression of the … Continue reading Aboriginal flag reflects distress of Australia.
Scrunched up against one side of an otherwise open public space near our house is a small dense stand of birch trees. There is a dirt trail running beside it that is heavily trafficked by people like me walking their dogs or, jogging, or taking a shortcut across to the local shopping centre. The trees are also just across the main road from our local … Continue reading High School kids build secret room hidden in plain sight.
The impact on our wildlife and ecosystems from the current bushfires is going to be catastrophic. It will be some time yet before the full extent emerges, but it will undoubtedly forever change the fragile ecology of our country. Professor Andrew Beattie from Macquarie University near Sydney told AFP he believes the death toll of animals nationwide could be in the billions, “if you think of mammals, … Continue reading Video: Koala rescued during bushfires.
The 2018 California fires burnt 2 million acres. The 2019 Amazon fires 2.2 million; and the 2019 Siberian fires 6.7 million. So far Australia’s 2019/20 fires have burnt 12 million acres. Now, I am not one to often talk of politics in this space but during this time of crisis, we have seen a total leadership failure from our Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Including complete … Continue reading A grim perspective.
It’s going to be a very tough couple of days for many people here in Australia (and for many other sentient beings as well). May you all be safe. I beg you my dear sibling – please act – don’t stay silent and indifferent any more, to the agonies of Nature, because the agonies of Nature are getting worse and they’ll destroy the very elements … Continue reading A tough 48 hours in Australia.
Every society needs heroes. And every society has them. The reason we don’t often see them is because we don’t bother to look. There are two kinds of heroes. Heroes who shine in the face of great adversity, who perform an amazing feat in a difficult situation. And heroes who live among us, who do their work unceremoniously, unnoticed by many of us, but who … Continue reading Heroes.
New years eve 2019. The thin green ribbon of forests, grasslands and bush that skirt the edge of Australia and have been desiccated by drought over the last few years are now burning. Communities have been devastated with an as yet unassessed number of homes/businesses destroyed and a grimly growing death toll. Large numbers of wildlife and livestock have been decimated. It is a National … Continue reading NYE 2019. Nothing happy about it.
